First Times
by strwbrygrl77
Summary: Barry and Iris through the years experience many "firsts" together - from promises to children and everything in between - proving that their love really does stand the test of time.


_A/N: Hello readers! So this part of the story takes place when Barry and Iris are children, shortly after he has come to live with the West family. We saw a glimpse of this early in S1 in flashbacks when Barry sneaked out to see Henry in Iron Heights and Joe met him at the prison. This is my version of what happened when they got home. . . ._

 _Disclaimer: I don't own FLASH. All I own are the ideas and possible new characters that appear in these stories. I also want to let everyone know that I don't read the comics, I just watch the TV show. I do know that Barry/Iris are the parents of the Tornado Twins, Don and Dawn (don't ask me what I think of those names). But in my universe, I'm going to go down a different path with their children. No flames, please._

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 **Fifteen years ago**

I didn't know I'd fallen asleep until the slamming of the front door woke me. My head shot off the dining room table and I rubbed my sleepy eyes, trying to focus and orient myself as to what was going on as I heard footsteps on the stairs and the sound of the front door opening and closing, followed by my father's voice calling out, "Barry Allen, you come back here!"

"You're not my father!"

I bit my lip and slowly got to me feet, tiptoeing on the hardwood until I could peek around the corner and see my dad glaring up the stairs at Barry. "I know I'm not your father, but he left you in my care and I need you to come down here and listen to a couple of things."

Barry didn't move; he just crossed his arms and returned the glare. "I can listen from here."

My dad sighed. "Look, Son-"

"I am NOT your son."

My dad cleared his throat. "Bear, I can't have you asking Iris to lie for you-"

Barry's arms dropped and he came down the stairs to stare up at my dad. "I didn't! I told Iris where I was going and she said- never mind, you wouldn't believe me anyway, you never do."

My dad reached out a hand but Barry danced out of reach. "I do believe you, Bear. But I can't have you putting Iris in a position to lie to me again – she and I have always told each other the truth and I don't want that to change. And you can't be sneaking off to Iron Heights every time I turn around either-"

"Or what?" Barry bristled. "You can't keep dragging me back here – this isn't my home. You aren't my father!"

"But I am your legal guardian."

Barry's eyes narrowed. "What does that mean?"

"It means that I have a legal responsibility to look after you until you turn eighteen. In the eyes of the law, I am your father."

"I hate you!" Barry screamed as he turned and ran up the stairs.

"Bear!" I cried as I came out of my hiding place, only to run straight into my father's arms.

"No, Iris, let him go. He needs some time to cool off."

"But Daddy, what he said – and what you said-" I was beginning to cry and I couldn't stop. Dad took my hand and led me over to the couch. "Did you mean what you said? Is Bear just a responsibility to you?"

My dad sighed as he looked at me with sad eyes. "Honey, this hasn't been easy for any of us – you, me, or Barry. He has a lot of anger and grief built up inside that he still needs help to process and the fact that he has been separated from his father is only making it harder on him."

"Then why won't you let him see his dad?"

My dad shrugged. "It's not just my decision. Henry, his dad, told him tonight not to come back."

I gasped. "What? Why?"

"I think, perhaps, he thinks it will be best for Barry not to see him in there, and for Barry to try and move on with his life."

I shook my head. "But Barry loves his dad – he is the only family he has left, besides us, I mean. He does have us, doesn't he, Dad? We're his family now, aren't we?"

My dad looked at me for a long moment before speaking. "Baby girl, I'm not going to lie to you. I agreed to take Barry in and become his legal guardian mostly because of the fact that he is your best friend and because I don't believe that he should be guilty by association."

I shook my head. "I don't understand that, Daddy."

"Barry isn't going to have an easy life, Iris. There are going to be lots of people who are going to bully him for being a murderer's son-"

"But his dad didn't do it! The man in yellow-"

My dad got to his feet and began to pace. "There is NO man in yellow! That's just some boogie man that Barry's created in his mind to explain what happened. He can't cope with the fact that his own father-"

"NO!" I screamed. "I believe Bear – and so should you. That's what family does – they believe in each other no matter what. If we don't do that, Daddy, he's just going to keep running away."

"Iris-" he shook his head.

"I'm going to go check on Barry – make sure he hasn't packed a bag or climbed out his window."

My dad looked at me in astonishment. "Has he done that before?"

I smirked. "You were the one that gave him the room with the tree right outside the window."

My dad collapsed on the couch, muttering, "You kids are going to be the death of me," as I ran up the stairs.

I didn't wait to knock but simply called Barry's name and threw open the door, catching my best friend in the act of climbing out the window.

"Stop that right now!" I squealed as I swung the door shut behind me, running across the room to him, yanking on his sleeve. "Get back in here and talk to me."

His eyes dropped to the floor as he swung his leg back over the sill. "There's nothing to say, Iris-"

I placed my hands on my hips and huffed. "You owe me something at least, Barry Allen! I covered for you earlier and nearly got grounded for life-"

"I didn't ask you to do that! You volunteered!" Barry sputtered.

I waved the words away. "Come on, tell me what happened at Iron Heights. At least tell me it was worth risking my neck for you to go see your dad."

Barry's shoulders slumped as he crossed the floor and sat on the edge of the bed, scuffing his toe on the carpet. "He wasn't even happy to see me, Iris. He wanted to know what I was doing there – why I wasn't here with you and Joe. And then Joe walked in and everything blew up."

I joined him on the bed, folding my legs under me. "How so?"

"My dad told your dad to take care of me – and that I needed to listen and follow whatever Joe said. And then, and then –" Barry broke off and scrubbed a sleeve across his face. "My dad told me not to come back."

"Oh Bear." I sighed and reached out a hand, rubbing his back. "I can't imagine how you feel – if it had been me, and my dad told me not to come back, I'd be a sobbing mess."

Barry turned and looked at me. "Would you listen?"

I bit my lip. "That's a hard one. I mean, he's my dad – and so yeah, I probably would – I mean, for awhile anyway."

Barry gave me a small smile. "But then you'd go back?"

"Yeah, 'cause he's my dad."

His arms came around me in a bone crushing hug. "Thanks, Iris."

"For what?" I croaked.

He pulled back and looked me in the eye. "For listening, for being my best friend, for believing me about the man in yellow."

I grinned. "You're stuck with me, Bear – my dad, too."

He groaned. "Does it have to be a package deal?"

I slugged him in the shoulder. "Can't you cut him a little slack? He doesn't know you as well as I do. He deals with criminals all day long who have fooled their friends and neighbors for years – at least, that's what he's always telling me. I believe in you, and you believe in your dad. Someday, my dad will believe in both of you too."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because one day, you and I will find the man in yellow and your dad will be out of that place."

Barry's mouth fell open. "How are we going to do that?"

I shrugged. "I don't know – you're the brains of this outfit."

He continued to stare at me for a few seconds before dissolving into giggles and I collapsed next to him on the bed, my own sides aching with mirth. It was so good to hear him laugh – I hadn't heard his laughter since before his mom had died and had secretly feared he wouldn't laugh again.

Once we were calm, I told Barry that I had mentioned to my dad about his escaping out the window. "He might nail it shut in the morning."

"Great, no more fresh air for me."

"Bear, couldn't you just promise not to run away again? Please, for me?"

"Iris-"

"Is it so bad living here with us?"

"No."

"Well, then? No more running away?" I held out my pinkie finger and he hooked his around it.

"No more running away. I, Barry Allen, promise to always come back home, Iris West."

I rolled my eyes. "You are such a goober, Barry Allen."

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 _A/N: Young Iris/Barry are SO cute - and I can see her calling him a goober quite clearly! Whew- an angry, untrusting Joe was hard to write! Leave some love in reviews!_


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